[Mechanisms of steroid osteoporosis development in patients with hormone-dependent bronchial asthma].

AIM

To examine mechanisms of steroid osteoporosis development in patients with hormone-dependent bronchial asthma (BA).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The trial included 73 patients with hormone-dependent BA, 19 BA patients who have never taken oral steroid hormones and 15 healthy subjects.

RESULTS

By computed tomography of the lumbar spine, bone tissue density in steroid-dependent BA was significantly decreased vs BA patients who were not treated with steroids. Osteopenia was discovered in 61.9% of the examinees who have received oral glucocorticoids. Development of osteopenia in this case was not dependent of the steroids dose and duration of the treatment. Patients with hormone-dependent BA vs healthy subjects had higher 24-h urine calcium excretion, normal levels of parathyroid hormones, calcitonin, low concentrations of 25-oxyvitamin D3, osteocalcin in the serum. Three subgroups of patients with osteopenia were identified according to the statistics: with prevalent resorption of bone tissues (24.1%), with low concentrations of vitamin D3 and osteocalcin (52.6%), with highly active resorption in combination with low vitamin D3 and weak function of osteoblasts (23.3%).

CONCLUSION

Mechanisms of steroid osteoporosis development are heterogeneous. This should be considered in its treatment.